I was sitting at my desk this morning, thinking about what I might post on my blog, and brooding that the news had me in something of a funk. "I am in the Slough of Despond," I thought. That provoked me to wonder about the source and real meaning of that familiar phrase. I knew that it came from John Bunyan's famous work, Pilgrim's Progress, of course, but since I have never actually read Pilgrim's Progress, I was not sure exactly what meaning Bunyan had ascribed to it. I tried Wikipedia, which, as always, was instantly helpful, and that in turn led me to click on the link in the article to the Wikipedia article on Pilgrim's Progress itself.
I read the entire synopsis of Parts One and Two, and was overwhelmed by its beauty. I had just been reading Freud"s The Future of an Illusion, and fuming at his utter tone-deafness to religion. The contrast was extremely powerful. As I read the synopsis of Bunyan's work, I found tears coming to my eyes.
I guess I shall have to pay my lapsed dues in the local Society of Unbelievers to maintain my credibility as the Village Atheist.
Your reputation is safe among the Society of Unbelievers. To be moved to tears by a powerful story is only "human." Making good use of Wikipedia is also a sign of appreciation of human collaboration (contrary to the faculty guidelines for student references at my college, nonetheless!).
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